Broad Hinton and Winterbourne Bassett Parish Council
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Broad Hinton and Winterbourne Bassett Parish Council 2019 Feedback on proposed changes to Electoral Boundary Review The Electoral Commission’s original Boundary review recommendations to Parliament in Sept 2018 included our Parish (Broad Hinton & Winterbourne Bassett) in the West Selkley ward, Marlborough Area and new Devizes & East Wilts constituency. Since then it has been proposed to move us from not only our Ward, but also our Area Board and Constituency. The information set out below supports statistically and historically, why we believe we should and can remain according to the Commission’s 3 criteria. The Commission states;- In drawing up a pattern of electoral divisions, the Commission must balance it’s three statutory criteria, namely: 1. To deliver electoral equality where each county councillor represents roughly the same number of electors as others across the county. 2. That the pattern of divisions should, as far as possible, reflect the interests and identities of local communities. 3. That the electoral arrangements should provide for effective and convenient local government. Our Parish’s connection with Marlborough is substantial. Within our Parish we hold 4500 years of historic, geological, farming and community links with Marlborough.The Chalk Hackpen Hill White Horse, part of the Ridgeway Roman road to Avebury and Neolithic stones all lie within our Parish, connecting us along the Winterbournes and the waterway flows direct from Marlborough to our Parish. We are included in the Marlborough Downs. The North Wessex Downs AONB, which covers the entirety of Marlborough area, extends to our Parish and to Clyffe Pypard. Unfortunately, this substantial connection to Marlborough and not to Lyneham area doesn’t seem to hold any water with the Commission and it is perceived to be only about numbers. May we quote from Baroness Scott’s letter to the Commissioner of LGBCE dated 18th July, 2018. ‘I believe very strongly that this should not be a numbers game and that the emphasis on size is simply wrong.’ As presently proposed, we have complied with the above criteria but we believe the LGBCE has proposed that we are moved out simply to comply with item 1 only. Our Parish Council proposes two alternatives to which we can comply with all 3 criteria and remain within our present Ward, Area and Consituancy :- Alternative No. 1. Provide 99 Councillors to Wiltshire Council. We are aware that a meeting with Wiltshire Council and the Commission confirmed that 98 Councillors are preferred but as the Commission states there is a -1/+1 leeway. The Commission proposes the division of Marlborough Area Board into 3 wards instead of the present 4 Wards subsequently requiring 3 Ward Councillors instead of the requested 4 and therefore increasing the electoral numbers for each Ward. If our Parish, Froxfield and Clyffe Pypard (also included in AONB) were included in the total Electorate figures the numbers would work for 4 wards. Of course, if the proposed 99 Councillors originally requested by Wiltshire Council had been accepted we would not be in this situation. May we again quote from Baroness Scott’s letter to the Commissioner of LGBCE dated 18th July, 2018. ‘We consider a council size of 99 is the most appropriate to enable us to provide effective and convenient local government within Wiltshire, and to preserve our separate identities and sense of place and to have the capacity for good and strong community leadership. Any reduction would cause these communities to suffer’. Alternative No. 2. Considering Cornwall Council’s average electorate is projected to 2023 not 2024 and is 5163 electors per ward and the ward of St. Denis electorate is 5715, we implore you to consider the below mentioned proposal of ward division figures. The Boundary Commission’s proposal of electorate numbers per ward for the Marlborough Area includes moving Mildenhall and Savernake to Marlborough East division. The Council also proposed to add to Marlborough East, an area running south of St John’s Marlborough Academy and containing a substantial housing development. This development is expected to add around 300 electors to the total electorate by 2024. The Council proposed that the remaining part of Marlborough Town would therefore be included in a division containing the remaining parishes of the existing West Selkley division, with the exception of the joint parish council of Broad Hinton & Winterbourne Bassett. The Commission therefore include the Council’s proposals for Marlborough East and Marlborough West divisions as part of our draft recommendations subject to three modifications. We propose that Cherry Orchard and Upper Church Fields remain part of Marlborough West division as we consider that the area to the east of St John’s Marlborough Academy is an established community and propose to include properties on the west side of Herd Street, at Elmswood Terrace and St David’s Way and between London Road and the River Kennet in Marlborough East division. The Council proposed that the parishes of Ogbourne St Andrew and Ogbourne St George be added to the existing Aldbourne & Ramsbury division and the parish of Froxfield be removed from it and added to its proposed Pewsey Vale East division. The below-mentioned figures are taken from the Boundary Commission draft recommendations February 2019 and include the above-mentioned adjustments. To include Broad Hinton and Winterbourne Bassett Parish within the Marlborough Area and thus preserving our history and complying with the 3 criteria, may we propose the following adjustments using the average of 4258;- Move Broad Hinton and Winterbourne Bassett from Lyneham to Marlborough West (Lyneham is 4668 at +10% to 4167 at -2%) and move 470 Marborough Town electors to Marlborough East from Malborough West. Move Mildenhall back to Ramsbury from Marlborough East. Bring Ogbourne St. Andrew back to Marlborough East from Ramsbury and include the other 470 Marlborough Town electors in Marlborough East. Savernake moves to Pewsey Vale east 4547 + 220 =4667 at +9.6% variance or add to Pewsey 4161 + 220 = 4381 at +2.8% variance. East Kennett leaves Marlborough West and is included in Pewsey Vale West, electorate of 4272 + East Kennet, 83 = 4355 at 2% variance. Thus supporting the Pewsey area numbers per Councillor. WARD PROPOSED WARD PROPOSED WARD PROPOSED NUMBERS NUMBERS NUMBERS Marlborough 4622 Marlborough 4578 Ramsbury 4675 West East +Broad 533 -Mildenhall 385 +Mildenhall 385 Hinton +W. Bassett 143 - Savernake 220 -Ogbourne 303 St. Andrew - 470 + Ogbourne 303 Marlborough St. Andrew Town - East 83 + 470 Kennet Marlborough Town TOTAL 4745 4746 4760 The following figures show 2 wards within the acceptable limit and 1 ward with a variance of only 0.53% above the Alderbery & Winterslow ward of 4737 electors accepted at a 11.25% variance. WARD TOTAL VARIANCE % Marlborough West 4745 11.43% Marlborough East 4746 11.46% Ramsbury 4760 11.78% The Wiltshire Council report states:- ‘The calculation method that has been used applies both the Office for National Statistics (ONS) population projection increase (3.8% for Wiltshire) and the proposed growth in housing numbers from April 2017 to March 2024. This is likely to include a certain element of ‘double- counting’ as a proportion of the population increase will also reside in the new housing.’ It is highly likely that the double counting will be more than 0.53% therefore the actual variance figure forecast will, in reality, be at an acceptable level. We are therefore requesting to be reinstated to the position where we have previously been included and also included in the Boundary Commissions final recommendations to Parliament, within the new Marlborough West Ward, Marlborough Area Board and the new Devizes & East Wilts constituency. Please find below local information and History to support our strong connections and links with Marlborough Area applying the above criteria. Our Parish’s connection with Marlborough is substantial. Within our Parish we hold 4500 years of historic, geological, farming and community links with Marlborough. The Chalk Hackpen Hill White Horse, part of the Ridgeway Roman road to Avebury and Neolithic stones all lie within our Parish, connecting us along the Winterbournes and the waterway flows direct through Marlborough to our Parish. We are included in the Marlborough Downs. The North Wessex Downs AONB, which covers the entirety of Marlborough area, extends to our Parish and to Clyffe Pypard. 1. Location On reviewing a terrain map, it shows that the 3 settlements of BH, Uffcott and WB are all located on the upland, chalk, Marlborough Downs. Their development and links to the outside world were dictated by the land. The main artery passing through them that is the valley of the seasonal Winterbourne (aka Upper Kennett) flowing from springs to the NE of BH in a south westerly direction, picking up other spring-fed streams and seasonal bournes, e.g. the Sambourne, until south of Avebury at Swallowhead Springs it turns eastward as the non-seasonal River Kennett. That route is still the main artery of economic and rural life, now followed by the A-roads - A4361 and A4 to Avebury and Marlborough respectively. To split responsibility for the upper A4361 between Area Boards will only increase the already bureaucratic task for Wiltshire Council. The secondary routes in the parish follow the old drove roads from the winter quarters around the settlements to the high pastures up and beyond the Ridgeway; and by extension of these routes, to the market and sheep fairs at Marlborough (Andrews & Drury map of Wiltshire 1773). Routes to/from the clay vales of north Wiltshire were difficult and restricted contact. Only minor roads exist as the main routes even now. This difficulty is seen every winter when even a small snow episode can leave the villages along the Winterbourne cut off for anything from 1 to 3 days (as in winter 2017/18) from the outside world.